Moore: Cowboys' humiliating loss is devastating in these ways ...

3/49

G.J. McCarthy/Staff Photographer

Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Sean Lee (50) is injured tackling New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas during the first half of their game Sunday, November 10, 2013 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La. (G.J. McCarthy/The Dallas Morning News)

NEW ORLEANS — Despite the creative and frustrating ways the Cowboys have found to lose this season, they have always taken pride in being competitive.

They can no longer make that claim.

New Orleans’ superiority was obvious and devastating. The Saints toyed with their feckless opponent Sunday evening on the way to a 49-17 victory.

Most people who come here must spend 10 to 12 hours of drinking on Bourbon Street before they suffer this level of humiliation. All the Cowboys needed was a little over three hours at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to achieve that state.

Injuries mount and confidence wanes as the Cowboys enter the bye week. The worst loss in Jason Garrett’s tenure as head coach doesn’t set the stage for a positive stretch run.

Yes, the Cowboys are 5-5 and still have a tenuous hold on first place in the NFC East with Philadelphia. But this in no way resembles the team whose previous four losses were by a combined total of 14 points.

“It’s embarrassing to lose,’’ Jones said. “It’s embarrassing to not be representative, not be competitive, all of those things.’’

To be fair, in many ways this isn’t the same team that suffered one point losses to Kansas City and Detroit on the road.

Jason Hatcher, the one constant in what has been a game of musical chairs in the Cowboys defensive line, was unable to play due to nerve damage in his neck. Hamstring injuries to linebackers Sean Lee and Justin Durant kept them from finishing the game.

Subtracting three starters from a defense that was already missing three others in defensive end Anthony Spencer, cornerback Morris Claiborne and safety JJ Wilcox was a recipe for disaster.

This game wasn’t about Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan taking his revenge against an organization that fired him 10 months ago.

It was about a Saints offense that amassed a franchise record 625 yards for a regular season game and set an NFL record with 40 first downs.

“Someone told me we set the record, is that true,’’ quarterback Drew Brees asked afterwards. “Did we do that? Ok.

“It’s just a single game record. It’s not like we set the total yardage record that goes for the whole season. I think it says a lot just about today.

“Today was extremely efficient. We averaged close to eight yards per play, which is a ton.’’

This game didn’t develop into the shootout many envisioned. How could it when tight end James Hanna led the Cowboys in receptions with three?

Tony Romo completed just 10-of-24 passes for a season-low 128 yards. His only completion to Dez Bryant came in the second half when the Cowboys trailed by 25 points.

Bryant had just two passes thrown in his direction all evening.

Hard as it is to believe, the Cowboys led in this game. Twice. A Darren Sproles fumble on a punt return allowed the Cowboys to jump to a 3-0 lead. A strong start on the ground by DeMarco Murray staked the Cowboys to a 10-7 edge one minute deep into the second quarter.

That’s when the game unraveled for Dallas.

Lee was lost with a hamstring injury during a 14-play, 80-yard touchdown drive by New Orleans that consumed 8:56. How did the Cowboys offense respond?

Three-and-out. The Saints scored another touchdown.

The Cowboys came back with another three-and-out. The Saints came back with another touchdown.

You get the idea.

New Orleans scored 28 unanswered points. Brees completed 19 consecutive passes during the stretch to equal his career high.

Brees threw for 392 yards and four touchdowns. Backup running back Mark Ingram ran for 145 yards and a touchdown. Receiver Marques Colston caught seven passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.

“Nothing is ever easy,’’ New Orleans coach Sean Payton said in a statement that must be labeled less than truthful. “We played a team that was nicked-up.’’

The problem for Dallas was the players not nicked up didn’t do much.

Garrett likes to say his team must be prepared to play well at home, on the road, in the parking lot or on the moon.

He apparently never said anything about New Orleans.

“They were simply better than us tonight,’’ Bryant said. “They just went out there and executed.

“I think they scored on damn near every drive.’’

Catch David Moore on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310) three days a week with The Musers (Mon-Wed-Fri) at 9:35 a.m., twice a week (Tues-Fri) with The Hardline at 4:15 p.m. and twice a week (Mon-Thurs) with BaD Radio at 2:35 p.m. during the regular season.

To post a comment, log into your chosen social network and then add your comment below. Your comments are subject to our Terms of Service and the privacy policy and terms of service of your social network. If you do not want to comment with a social network, please consider writing a letter to the editor.